Elf on the Shelf is here to stay. Of course, there are also plenty of parents who don't have the energy or desire to screw around with a frickin' doll. But what if you're somewhere in the middle?
You want to create that extra holiday magic for your kids, but the likelihood of you setting a new scene every night is slim to none. Hey, that's OK! Just take a cue from TikTok mom Lindsay Gentry (@craygardens), who has the perfect Elf on the Shelf hack for hot mess moms everywhere.
"Let me put you onto something. Go to Target or the Dollar Store and get a cheap little Christmas village house," says Gentry. "When your kids are asleep, you're gonna put it somewhere with a little note. And when your kids wake up? Surprise! An elf has moved into your house. He's at Santa's workshop all day long — because that makes sense — and he comes here at night."
So, you see, the key to making your elf work for you this season is to get the festive little fella a place of its own. It doesn't have to be big. It doesn't even have to be fancy. Any house made for any size creature will do. Just get your little spy friend from the North Pole his own digs.
"Your responsibility is to feed him one piece of sugary cereal every day," she suggests telling your kids. "On occasion, he will leave a mess that we have to clean up or a note of encouragement for your kids. Or maybe even a treat or two. But that is all up to the creative inspiration of the elf."
By design, your Elf on the Shelf doesn't have to (and likely won't) do something daily. Not only does this get you off the hook, but it also means the elf isn't "constantly surveilling your child, which is kinda creepy," says Gentry.